The Chicago Police Department reported that a child, Sarabi Medina, was killed after being shot in the head on Saturday night in Portage Park.
Who was Sarabi Medina?
Sarabi Medina was an 8-year-old girl who was shot in the head outside her home. Police said that the girl might have been the intended target.
According to local activist Andrew Holmes, Sarabi Medina planned to buy ice cream for both her and her father. The girl’s father, according to Holmes, had requested her to put her scooter away.
“He gave her money to get ice cream. She got ice cream for her and her dad. Then he asked her to put her scooter up, but before she could even have a chance to put her scooter up, this individual ran across the street, discharged that weapon. Now we have a child that’s lost,” Holmes said.
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At around 9:40 p.m., a man who was recognized by the police allegedly approached a crowd and pulled a revolver on them in the 3500 block of North Long Avenue. Then he shot Medina in the head. She was declared dead shortly after being admitted to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, according to the police.
“We’re dealing with another baby that hasn’t had a chance to go back to school. I talked to her father. He said she just loved to go to school,” Holmes added.
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After his 8-year-old daughter was shot and killed outside of her home, the agonizing screams of that father were audible to other neighbors. “I just heard the shots, and then I heard the father screaming, and I called 911,” one neighbor said. “It’s unfortunate that you always hear that there was a child in the mix,” another neighbor said.
According to police, a second man who was present at the scene attacked the shooter in an effort to disarm him. Police said that the gunman was shot in the face during the battle. According to authorities, he was taken in critical condition to Illinois Masonic Medical Centre.
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Police reported finding a weapon on the site and inquiring into the shooting. The suspect had been taken into custody and was facing charges as of Sunday afternoon.
According to Alder Ruth Cruz, the father has lost a loved one to gun violence before. “About four years ago he lost his wife, just like he lost his daughter today. Also his wife was killed outside where the apartment they lived, and now he is mourning the loss of his daughter,” she said.